Are you looking for a unique plant to give as a hostess gift or to use in your own decorations but have grown tired of poinsettias? Those beautiful blooming Christmas cacti are wonderful for gift giving or as an distinctive Christmas decor statement.
These resilient plants not only display vibrant red and burgundy blooms, but they are incredibly easy to grow and maintain.
Even if you aren't a gardener or have a green thumb, you can enjoy these plants.
In addition, they aren't annuals and if treated correctly, will continue to grow and delight their owners year after year.
With a Christmas cactus plant, you are giving a present your recipient will enjoy long after the holidays are over.
Christmas cacti are very different than what you may first have in mind when you hear the word "cactus".
Images of spiky, gangly desert cacti are what you may envision.
And if you see one, you may at first think that that have been misnamed because they look so different from what you may expect from the word cactus because they do not have spines.
However, they are truly in the cactus family.
The cactus family tree has two very different branches.
"Desert" cacti, associated with desert and barren landscapes, is the most familiar.
But there are also "jungle" cacti which grow in rain forests and other environments that you would think the least likely habitat for a cactus plant.
This latter plant family is the one that Christmas cacti belong to.
And like their desert siblings, jungle cacti can sport some incredible blooms and be a lot of fun to grow.
And because they don't require tremendous effort, make perfect plants for giving this holiday season.